BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 4. Iran's airspace will soon be completely controlled, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said at a press conference, Trend reports.
According to him, U.S. and Israeli forces are expected to gain complete control over Iranian airspace within a few days.
According to him, American and Israeli forces are expected to gain complete control over Iranian airspace within a few days.
The Pentagon chief also stated that the U.S. has deployed additional forces to the Middle East in connection with the conflict with Iran. Responding to a question about when the operations will end, he replied, “It's too early to say for sure. Meanwhile, President Trump also stated that we will spend as much time as necessary to achieve our goals.”
Following the 2nd round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran on February 17, which ended without progress, the U.S. increased its presence in areas near Iran, deploying over 150 aircraft to bases in Europe and the Middle East.
The escalation follows the 3rd round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States in Geneva on February 26. Held under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the negotiations were viewed as the final chance to strike a deal diplomatically. However, no agreements were reached, as Tehran refused to halt uranium enrichment, dismantle its nuclear facilities, or accept indefinite restrictions on its nuclear program. Israel launched its airstrikes shortly afterward, with the country's Defense Minister Katz emphasizing that the operations were preemptive.
In a significant escalation, military airstrikes conducted by Israel and the United States the previous day have reportedly resulted in the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Khamenei and several members of his family.
Additionally, several of Iran’s most senior military and security officials were killed in the airstrikes, including Chief of Staff Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Pakpour, Supreme Leader adviser and Defense Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani, and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.